Bag rack



May 18, 1948. c BRITTQN 2,441,750

BAG RACK Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l i I W 6. flOIST- Z3 1 f2 1 a" y! 1 l I MECHANIC/7L Z2 .3 maze/5e /5' 1 2/ i i a A a a wu em Yo n C/mezas A de/rro/v May 18, 1948. c. A. BRITTONY 2,441,750

BAG RACK Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 18, 1948 uNlrEn PATENT oirrice V A RACKE Gharles Britten, Atlanta, Ga.,l-assig nor of onethird rto 'll aylo'r Britten and :one-tthirfl :to Wm. 'flpflnamflr ibothnf Atlanta, Ga.

.hnpli cationilnne :6, 1945, ,Serial No. 597,827

3 iClaims. (Cl. 214-435) "This-invention relates torack attachments for power hoist vehicles, enabling 'such vehicles to transport material, and :particularly "concerns such a'rack that is specialized for transporting bagged material. The rack hereinarter described is arranged in a novel Way .to cooperate with bagged material by reason :of the non-rigid character of such material to enable transportation withahig'hfl'eg-reeof efli-ci ency. I One oh'j'ect oftheinventionis the provision of a rack ofthe typeindicatedarrangedin a novel way 'to permit .a 'load of bagged material supported by it 'to .be unloaded on any supporting surface by 'a simplejhorizonta-l withdrawingmovement of the "rack from the material, without 're-' quiring any auxiliary equipment, therebypermitting -a load of ba'gged material :to be placed on topof'a previously arranged stack, or on a'floor, without requiring manual unloading, and without danger of damaging the bagsinwhich'the material 'ispacked.

Another object is 'the provision in'a rack for transporting bagged "material a novel mounting for plural 'lo'ad-supportingfingers, which mounting provides a simple means ofiadjustlngthe fingers for cooperation with diiferent kinds of bagged material.

Still another object is the provision of a bag rack comprising .a vertical fbacking plate that presents a smooth surface for contacting the side of ,a stack of, bags, at system of parallel smooth surfaced supporting fingers'ifor underlying such a stack, and adjustable mounting means securing the fingers to the ,plate, which mounting is so arranged as to'be shielded by the ,plate irom contact with the bags supported onrtheiingers. I j o Another -.object .is the provision -.of ,a simple coupling {device .for attaching :a mack of the indicated type to a gDOWBI hoist vehicle, which :will enable :the :rack to be picked up by the vehicle lay-vertical movement of the ;lift:plate of the; vehicle, which-will operateutoapick up'ithemck from either ;-a wertical :positinn' pr ;;a,.1loading position in which :it is tilted to iaid .imarrangement of a stack of bags on itrandmhichwilldn-eithercase properlyzposition the ,rack "for. lowering to an .unloading spnsi-tion 'corrently related to :an underlying surface -zfor accomplishing. "unloading by withdrawal of therack 'irommhe material.

finrtheaccompanyingrdrawmgsz .2 I r; ,1- 7 Big. 1 J's razperspective-vieweo'f .the Irontmfa rack acnnstnucted :in accordance with :this q-invene Fig. 2 is a-perspective view of-the rear side vof sucharack.

Fig. '3 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation, indicating the manner in which the rack maybe picked up fortransportationiby apower vehicle provided witha hoist.

Describing the drawings in detail, therac'k :includes a ibacking plate 5 having a smooth and substantially plane front surface -6. Extended beneath the lower edge 1 of the plate 5, and projecting forward beyond its front surface iii, are plural parallel supporting fingers 8 that are .disposed substantially at right angles to the plate. Ihese 'fingers 8 are of such configuration :and so spaced apart laterally as to zprovide xbetween them spaces '9, through which, when the rack is pesitionedwith the bottoms xii -the fingers resting on an underlying surface such as ithe :floor Jill, bagged material overlying the fingers will .contact the underlying surface -withrsufiicient virictiona-l resistance to *movement :relative to the surface to permit the fingers .totbe withdrawn from beneath the bagged material r'by horizontal movement longitudinal of the :fingers. To this end the fingers are rprovided with suria'ces that are smooth and uninterrupted ithroughout their lengths, to offer relatively little :resistance to their Withdrawal irom beneath -:a stack inf bags overlying them.

As indicated -.above, the fingers l8 sextend Ebeneath the lower edge of the .plate. In the rear of the :plate the :fingers :haveupwardly bent portions ilil zthat extendalong'zthe rearxsurvfacerof the plateandsterminatezhooks I12. .A transverse bar 4-3 horizontally;disposed;acrossrthe rear. of the plate:betweemtwoside iframezelements M ziszengagedcbyithe hooks :tosupport the 'iingers for. horizontal adjustment :of the sfingers transverse itorthe plate. :A second ;tr.ansverse ;bar .15

is mounted between the :elements 5!.4 adjacent the lower .edge :of :the :plate, and .lies ?t0 the ,rear of am portions :1 l ro'f the fingers, securing them against :rearward swinging relative :to the :plate and aproviding mountings ztor rpositicning-zpins I 6 lfOI fixing the.=.1ateral positions of the rfingers. Preferably the bars l3 and I5 are reinforced :by :bolting to -,a zcentral vertical 'zframe :membJer .l 1. Advent ageeusly. the; plate issulfroundembyrarear- :wardlyextendedaskirt zl8 thatzenelnseszthe ends .01 the various transverse zelementsmounzted on the rear pf :the plate, servingatoshield'such elements from contactingzstacksior :bagaandttherehy tearingzthejbags.

EIT-hemackds intended to be iloadedwhileestandingucn aifieor unattached ;-toa vehicle. {Em order of the plate, the latter is provided with rearwardly projecting wings I9 having lower edges 20 arranged at an acute angle with the plate to support the latter in a position slightly tilted to the rear. In this position the fingers are tilted above the floor at a small angle.

After a rack has been loaded with bags stacked upon the fingers, the rack is picked up by a power vehicle provided with a hoist, for transporting the stack of bags to a desired location where it may be unloaded by placing the rack with the bottoms of the fingers in contact with an underlying surface upon which the stack of bags is to be placed, and thereafter withdrawing the fingers from beneath the bag stack by a horizontal rearward movement of the rack. To accomplish this unloading the rack is lowered upon the underlying surface with'the fingers parallel to such surface, that is to say, in horizontal disposition. To provide for positioning of the rack-with the fingers horizontal and the backing plate 5 vertical, and to permit such positioning to be accomplished by means of a power lift vehicle having a lift plate that is permanently arranged in a vertical position, as well as by such a vehicle provided with a lift plate that is angularly adjustable, the following described coupling device is employed.

Upon the rear of the vertical frame members II and I! are supported a vertically spaced pair of coupling members in the form of plates 2] transversely disposed relative to the plate 5 and extending rearwardly and downwardly. On the lift plate of a power hoist vehicle are mounted cooperating oppositely disposed lifting plates 22 arranged at angles similar to those of the plates 2| when the lift plate 23 is vertically positioned. When the vehicle 24 is brought up to the rear of the rack with the plates 22 underlying the plates 2|, and with the lift plate 23 in vertical disposition, the rack will be brought from its tilted loading position to a position wherein the plate 5 is vertical. In the case of a vehicle provided with an angularly adjustable lift plate, engagement of the vehicle and rack may be accomplished with both the rack and lift plate in tilted positions, and vertical positioning accomplished duringtransportation.

When the loaded rack has been brought to the location at which the stack of bags is to be deposited, the bottoms of the fingers are brought intozoverlying contacting relation with the surface upon which the stack is to be deposited, and thereafter the rack may be withdrawn frombeneath the stack by simply withdrawing it horizontally, the greater frictional resistance to relative movement between the bags and the surface than to longitudinal withdrawal of the fingers from beneath the bags, serving to-hold the stack in the desired location. Vertical positioning of the rack prior to this unloading operation insures that the stack will stay as arranged in loading the rack.

'I'he' smooth surfaces of the fingers, besides permitting the withdrawal of the rack from the load of bags permits the load to be deposited on top of a previously placed stack of bagsthe fingers sliding from between the underlying previously placed stack and the overlying stack being unloaded from the rack, while contact between the upper and lower surfaces of the 'respective stacks provides forretaining of the upper one in position upon the top of the lower one. The rack therefore enables stacks to be built up in successive courses as high as permitted by the height to which the lift plate of a particular hoist vehicle may be raised. This is of great advantage in avoiding the necessity of a great deal of manual handling hitherto necessary in the stacking of bags.

The various structural details of the rack that have been described render the rack peculiarly suited to the handling of bags. In addition to the advantages provided by easy loading by manual stacking of bags against the back plate when tilted upon the wings l9, and the highly useful features of power operated unloading provided by the use of fingers so arranged as to provide for contact between a stack of bags and an underlying surface, the rack is peculiarly suited for carrying bags because of its presentation of only smooth surfaces for contacting bags, all parts that necessarily have projections or corners, such as the adjustable mountings of the fingers, and the coupling plates, being adequately shielded by the plate 5 and the surrounding skirt l8 againstcontact with the bags.

Iclai n: I

l. A rack for transporting bagged material comprising a substantially vertical backing plate having a smooth front surface, plural parallel fingers projecting forward from such surface and substantially at right angles thereto, said fingers being so spaced and of such configuration as to providecontaot between an underlying surface contacted by the bottoms of the fingers and bagged material overlying'th fingers offering greaterfrictional resistance to relative movement between such surface and material than to relative longitudinal movement between the fingers and such material, a supporting member extended rearwardly from the plate and having a lower edge arranged at an acute angle to the front surface thereof for supporting the plate in arearw'ardly tilted position, and a rearwardly and downwardly inclined coupling member secur'dto the rear of the plate for overlyin 'engagementwith an oppositely inclined member projecting forward from the lift plate of ,a power hoist vehicle, the said member being arranged at suchan ,angle'to the plate as to insure the latter assuming a vertical position when raised vertically by such a hoist.

' 2.' A stackingjand transporting rack to be used infconnection-with a power hoist vehicle having a movable forwardly projecting supporting memher, said rack comprising a substantially vertical backing plate and a substantially horizontal member secured to the back of said'platefat a point substantially above its base and adapted to be engaged by said supporting member when it is lifted by said power hoist and released-when said supporting member is lowered, and a plurality of removable'and laterally adjustable support fingers: projecting forwardly and horizon tally-beneath the lower edge of said backing plate, said fingers having portions extended upward in the rear of s'aid'backin'g plate'fand' slidably secured to said horizontal member. L

3'. A stackingand transporting rack to .be used in connection with a power hoist vehicle having a movable forwardly projecting supporting member, said'rack comprising a substantially vertical backing plate and a' pluralityiof substantially horizontal membersfsecured to .tli'e back' of said plate 'at point'ssubstantially above its base, at least one Of said horizontal members being REFERENCES CITED The following references are 0! record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 15 499,033

Name Date Fontaine Apr. 28, 1931 Stuckey Oct. 25, 1932 Dunham Oct. 31, 1939 Wehr Apr. 22, 1941 Bomar Sept. 16, 1941 Neuman Nov. 17, 1942 Ulinski Jan. 11, 1944 Dunham Jan. 30, 1945 Ulm Oct. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany May 30, 1930 

